


I Confess

by poprockshawty



Series: I Love You Like A Love Song [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Boys Kissing, Bromance, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Holding Hands, Homosexuality, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Male Homosexuality, Mutual Pining, Pianist Byun Baekhyun, Student Byun Baekhyun, Students
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 22:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17211827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poprockshawty/pseuds/poprockshawty
Summary: Kyungsoo wants something from Baekhyun and Baekhyun wants something from Kyungsoo, but they have no idea how the other feels about them.Perhaps they can both get what they want, with a little help from Yifan and Chanyeol.A self-prompt fic for The Little Prince Fic Fest 2018 Round 1.





	I Confess

**Author's Note:**

  * For [throwthekey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/throwthekey/gifts).



> This is my first ever baeksoo fic. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you'll enjoy reading it too!

Kyungsoo sat on the stairs by himself, eyeing the school playground that was mostly empty apart from the janitor who was idly picking the leaves off the benches lined up on one side. He had more than an hour to go before it was time for the first class of the day. No student would come to school so early, and certainly a portion of students were habitually tardy, but Kyungsoo had a purpose. Rather than staying behind after school in the practice room, he chose to arrive early and practice singing to his heart’s content. Since food and drinks were not allowed in the practice room, here he was, quietly eating his breakfast.

Like Kyungsoo, his classmate Yifan had a similar purpose in mind, except his interest was in playing basketball. Early morning practice was also his style, and he could have the entire court to himself. It was these mutual habits that brought the two together as close friends.

“So…?” Yifan asked, sitting down next to Kyungsoo and stretching his long legs that seemed to go on forever. “Have you made up your mind yet? Today’s the last day if you wanna sign up.”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Come on, you’ve been practicing for such a long time. It would be such a waste if you just let this opportunity go,” the tall boy urged, nudging Kyungsoo and then resting his arm on Soo’s shoulder.

“Of course I want to join, but I can’t without a pianist or a guitarist or a violinist or, you know, some sort of accompaniment since that’s the theme and requirement of this year’s singing contest. It’s not just about vocals but also making the instruments sing,” he explained. “The only person that I  _thought_  could help me out is Chanyeol, but he’s part of the organizing committee so it wouldn’t be fair for him to be on any contestant’s team.”

“Well, there’s always someone else you could ask. You see the columns of trophies over there?” Yifan pointed in the direction of the foyer. “Every year, the school adds a new shining gold trophy on that row because we’ve got one outstanding pianist who consistently outdoes himself. And as far as I know it, he hasn’t entered the competition or allied himself with any side yet.”

“...Yifan, you’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m serious. So what? You have a crush on him, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask him to be your pianist,” Yifan insisted, leaning back with confidence. “There. Problem solved. You’re welcome.”

“ _No_. I do have a crush on him, and that’s precisely why I can’t ask him,” Kyungsoo whined. “I haven’t even got the guts to  _talk_  to him!”

“I’m just saying, it doesn’t hurt to ask if he might be interested in helping you out. It’s not like you have to ask him out,” Yifan joked. “Although I mean, if you ask him out too, then, sure, I suppose that’s cool as well.”

“I don't know,” the shorter boy replied reluctantly knowing that this was his last hope. Resting his chin on his palm, he let out a sigh. “I’ll think about it.”

“Well, today’s the last day you can pull this excuse on me,” said Yifan gently, glancing at his watch. “Anyway, time for practice. See you in class.”

* * *

After eight dreary hours, Kyungsoo was finally finished with his classes. As everybody packed their bags, glad to get to leave this hellhole, Kyungsoo was stopped by Chanyeol.

“Kyungsoo,” said Chanyeol, sounding concerned and looking surprisingly stern. “I’m about to collect all the application forms and hand them in to our Music teacher. I still don’t see your entry.”

“Yeah…” Kyungsoo drawled. “Because...I didn’t sign up.”

“Soo!” Chanyeol admonished. “I was rooting for you. We were all rooting for you!”

“Err, maybe next time…” Kyungsoo uttered and scratched the nape of his neck.

Chanyeol was visibly getting worked up now. “Of all the things you could pick up from Yifan, why not his guts to just ask…”

Kyungsoo shrugged apologetically and swung his backpack over his shoulder. “I'll see you tomorrow, Chanyeol. Gotta go.”

Chanyeol merely grunted lazily. Luckily, the giant had a backup plan and it was devised with the other giant in the house. And when the twin towers put their minds to do something, they would get things done.

“Are you sure this will work?” Chanyeol asked Yifan, secretively and keeping his voice down.

“Yeah. Trust me, brother,” said Yifan in reassurance.

“I don't wanna get in trouble for this,” Chanyeol shuddered. “Kyungsoo will hit me if he finds out that I filled out the application form for him.”

“Don't worry. We're doing this for his own good. It's for a good cause,” the Chinese boy replied casually.

Chanyeol scratched his big ears and shrugged. “I really want this to work. They've been pining after each other for so long.”

“And if we don't intervene, they're really gonna keep doing this for the rest of eternity, wondering if they'll ever stand a chance with each other, and stubbornly believing there's no way their feelings would be reciprocated. Won't even consider the possibility,” Yifan commented. Although he was friends with both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, he did not think it was his place to disclose either’s feelings to the other. “It's funny because the truth is right under our noses but they're really blind to it. I wonder if I'm also gonna be like this when I'm the one all tangled up in my own feelings.”

The Korean boy chuckled. “They should feel blessed that they have us as their wingmen. By the way, did you really get the entire basketball team to spread the rumor that Kyungsoo’s accompanist is gonna play...the triangle?”

Yifan laughed too. “I thought about that, but I doubt anyone would buy it, so I made them say that Yixing would play the guitar for Soo. And I made sure their conversation was ‘accidentally’ overheard by Baekhyun. Wasn't easy, but anything for them, right?”

“Absolutely anything.”

* * *

“Please, please, please,” Baekhyun whined to Yixing, even resorting to using his limited Mandarin to plead. It was broken and a bit cringe-worthy but he definitely deserved kudos for the effort. “Let me join your team too.”

“Baekhyun, I, I don't know, I think you should really ask Kyungsoo—” Yixing stuttered and appeared to panic, but was actually not at all worried. He was confident that his cover would not be blown as Baekhyun’s actions lied perfectly within the bounds of Yifan’s expectations. It was exactly as what the captain of the basketball team had explained to Yixing when he came to persuade the guitarist to be part of this grand, wicked scheme to bring Kyungsoo and Baekhyun together. Yixing was even more convinced now that Baekhyun must care about Kyungsoo a lot, considering how desperate he was in asking to be part of Kyungsoo’s team in the singing contest.

“The rules didn't say that there can only be one accompanist, right? I can play any song that Kyungsoo chooses. You don't believe me? I can do it! I promise I won't get in the way either. I’ll just—”

“Well, I guess…” Yixing continued to hesitate, keeping his façade entirely believable to Baekhyun.

“Please!” Baekhyun exclaimed. “I'll do anything. I'll even do your homework for you!”

“Whoa!” Yixing blurted, and this time the surprise was genuine. “No, you really don't have to go that far. You know what, I can tell that you're really committed to this and, well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for Kyungsoo to have one more teammate who’s so happy to help him out, right? I think we might stand a bigger chance of winning that way, so I'm going to put in a good word for you with Kyungsoo, and if he's cool with it too, then I'll let you know our practice schedule.”

Baekhyun squealed, completely overjoyed. As he dramatically kowtowed before Yixing, he mentally admonished himself for not making a move until the last minute. Actually, not even the last minute, but in fact when it was, to the best of his knowledge, already too late. If only he dared approach Kyungsoo rather than only indirectly attempting to draw the boy’s attention…

Still, he had Yixing to thank for getting this chance to get close to Kyungsoo. He got it and that was what mattered. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and hoped that his upcoming encounters with Kyungsoo would amount to something. That all this pleading and begging would be worth it.

* * *

Kyungsoo went to school the next day, still completely oblivious. Yifan’s mysterious behavior came across as slightly odd to the smaller boy, but he attributed it to the basketball team captain’s nerves as a big game was coming up.

Until Kyungsoo reached the practice room and the commotion outside made him frown, concerned. Dozens of students gathered, when normally nobody would want to be at school that early (or at all). They all looked annoyed, either grousing under their breaths or outwardly cursing. Some tried to push their way to the front, repeatedly slamming their palms on the door and windows to convey their frustration. Kyungsoo remained standing at the other end of the corridor, not tall enough to see what was really going on, nor bold enough to wade through all these students to get to what appeared to be the frontline of the battlefield.

Amidst the chaos, a sharp, clear voice pierced through the disorganized noise, turning heads instantly. “Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!”

Now everybody was looking at tiny Soo who merely blinked and remained unmoving. He was sure that whoever was calling his name would want him to make his way over to where they were, but he simply could not as there were too many people in the way. Their grumbles arose again and he could not even figure out  _why_  they were so pissed off.

Suddenly a hand reached out to grab Kyungsoo. It landed on his forearm at first and although the grip was firm, it was not threatening. He looked up to see who it was, only to find that a painful expression was drawn across Baekhyun's face. The source of the pain could be traced back to his foot — somebody had stepped on him and the situation was simply too messy for anybody to tell if it was an accident or a deliberate attack. But Baekhyun merely grimaced and hissed momentarily, fixing his gaze on Kyungsoo and, with all his energy and at all costs, dragged the confused boy into the practice room, locking the doors as if to emphasize how much he desired to shut out the unwanted noise from outside and just keep Kyungsoo in here all to himself.

It was after all that hassle and in the peaceful quietness that Baekhyun looked down and realized that he had been holding Kyungsoo’s hand all this time.

Kyungsoo was perhaps slightly more conscious of their hand-holding, to the extent that he saw Baekhyun trip and almost lose his balance just now, causing his hand to slide further down to Kyungsoo’s wrist. He thought he must be dreaming, but not even in his wildest dreams did he think his crush would be holding his hand.

Baekhyun’s heart was beating  _so_  fast he thought he might pass out, but he also kept reminding himself that he  _must_  keep calm and look cool in front of Kyungsoo. Determined to impress his crush, Baekhyun cleared his throat and even though he was extremely nervous, he refused to let it show.

“Sorry about that,” said Baek as calmly as possible at the same time as letting go of Kyungsoo’s hand. He did not really want to, but feared that Kyungsoo would not appreciate this kind of intimacy. Perhaps more importantly, Baekhyun did not want his heavily sweaty palm to give away how nervous he was in the presence of the boy he liked.

“No worries,” Kyungsoo replied, calm too if not a tad bit disappointed that his happy dream had come to an end. “What was that all about anyway?”

“Yeah, well, normally this practice room is open to all but one month prior to the singing contest, it becomes reserved for students who signed up for the contest. Or at least they will take priority over others,” Baek explained, his throat getting dry and he had the urge to clutch his chest to slow his thumping heart.

“Oh…” Kyungsoo faltered. “Then I shouldn't be here. I should probably, um, go…”

“What?” It was Baekhyun’s turn to be confused. “Don't you wanna practice? We could choose a song...or do some vocal exercises.”

“No…? I'm not a contestant. If you've bagsied the room for practice then please go ahead; I won't disturb you,” said Kyungsoo quietly.

Baekhyun shook his head. “I don't get it. I thought we were a team. I thought Yixing told you...no, wait, how are you  _not_  part of the contest? Did you change your mind and drop out?”

“No, Baekhyun, I didn't put my name in the goblet of fire…I just have the habit of coming here to practice every morning because I could have the whole room to myself,” Kyungsoo replied. “What gave you the impression that I'm one of the contestants? And what does Yixing have to do with any of this?”

“Uh, a little bird told me?” Baekhyun scratched the back of his head. “Anyway, you  _have_  to stay in the competition otherwise you won't get to use the practice room. And I didn't spend the night here just so you wouldn't be able to get your chance to practice…”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “You slept here?? And didn't go home?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I had to be absolutely sure that I would get here way before any other student could. Clearly, it worked. Obviously plenty people are not pleased about this but I'm not doing it to please  _them_ ,” he shrugged, deciding not to specify who he was really doing this for. “So yeah. Come on, let's practice. You're a contestant now and I’m your accompanist along with Yixing. I don't know why he's not here yet but it matters that  _you’re_  here. So, what song would you like to sing?”

“I can't believe…” Kyungsoo was absolutely shocked. He had yet to figure out how he ended up in the competition, and how he had Yixing and Baekhyun as his accompanists, and most importantly why Baekhyun would go to such great lengths for his sake. He could really use a moment to process this but time was ticking. He had a competition to prepare for and the least he could do was not make a fool out of himself so he had to deliver at least a decent performance. Decisively, he cleared his throat and said, “anyway, let's do some warm-up first. And then I have a few songs in mind that we could try.”

* * *

“Why aren't you eating, Soo-ya?” Chanyeol asked as he sat down opposite to Yifan and Kyungsoo in the canteen during lunchtime, carefully placing his full tray on the table as his soup was threatening to spill from the full bowl. “You should eat more; it'll help you grow so that you'll be as tall as we are.”

“Shut up,” said Soo softly. “I can't eat. I'm too nervous.”

“And why is that?” Yifan asked lazily as if he did not already know the answer. Sipping on his juice he crossed his legs and observed Kyungsoo intently.

“I can't stop thinking about this morning. I held hands with Baekhyun,” he gushed.

Yifan exchanged a secretive glance with Chanyeol, glad that their plan was working but also pleasantly surprised by the intimacy of the interactions between Kyungsoo and Baekhyun.

“This is some really good character development,” Yifan remarked, inwardly congratulating himself on the job well done.

"How did practice go?" Chanyeol asked, shoving a spoonful of rice in his mouth to conceal his giddy, mirthful smile.

"It went well, I suppose. Surprisingly well, considering how nervous I am when he's around. I just hate how shaky my voice was. I'm not normally like this. It's like I couldn't even stand still. It's a miracle I didn't go off-key," Kyungsoo rambled, shuddering. "Seriously, how am I gonna do this? How am I gonna perform when it's time for the contest? I'm gonna freak out. Oh my goodness, this is really too much."

"No worries, you're gonna be nail it as usual. You're talented as fuck and I have full confidence in you," said Yifan blithely. “Our Soo is gonna be the best. I just know it.”

"Easy for you to say! Have you seen the competition this year?" Kyungsoo groaned. "I heard that Kim Jongdae and Lu Han are gonna do a duet. They have godly vocals; I'm sure they're gonna win. And I know a lot of people agree with me; so many people are placing bets already."

"Yeah, my money would be on them too. But they're in the group category; you're in solo. It's not gonna affect you. Let me assure you, you've got nothing to worry about," Chanyeol replied confidently. "I'll say this though: I've had a look at the list of contestants and the competition in the group category is really strong. I think this year's contest will be even more interesting and more intense than last year's."

Chanyeol proceeded to mention something about the panel of judges, but Kyungsoo was only listening halfheartedly. As he was too preoccupied with dealing with his feelings and exchanges with Baekhyun, he had neglected to solve the mysteries of how they ended up on the same team as well as the extent of Yixing's involvement. But now that Chanyeol had brought this up...

"Chanyeol," Kyungsoo cut in. "You're part of the organizing committee of the singing contest and the person in charge of collecting application forms, right?"

"Yeah," Chanyeol blinked innocently. “What about it?"

"Then, that means every single application form will pass your hand before it reaches the Head Teacher of the Music Department."

"That's right."

"So if you were to tamper with those forms, perhaps...put in something that's not supposed to be there...before they're submitted to the teacher, you can get away with it?" Kyungsoo prodded.

"Well, technically..." Chanyeol gulped and looked up at Yifan gingerly. The Chinese boy cursed and bit his lip in realization of the epic fail.

"I will strangle you." Kyungsoo glowered at the two giants, tightening his grip on his unused utensils as if he was ready to grab a pitchfork.

"Mercy, mercy, please!" Chanyeol dropped his spoon and held up both of his hands in surrender. Kyungsoo was already bolting to his feet so Yifan, in a desperate attempt to rescue his brother, stammered and added, "if it weren't for this you wouldn't get to hold hands with Baekhyun or have any sort of physical contact with him! You never even thought you could talk to him but he was the only one you ended up talking with all morning, right?"

"Our impact!" Chanyeol squeaked.

"We all know you wanted to join the contest anyway. You just needed the right accompanist and you didn't want it to be anybody but Baekhyun. Yet you're too nervous to ask him, so we took things into  _our_  hands and got Yixing and a few other guys to make that happen," Yifan explained. "You can't back out now but you'll get to see Baekhyun a lot more frequently and you guys can get to know each other better. I don't see a downside to this."

"Well, I suppose, when you put it that way, you guys did do me a favor," Kyungsoo admitted, shrugging as he sat down. "Thanks, guys. I will eat now."

* * *

In class, Kyungsoo was about to fall asleep, but was kept awake by Baekhyun who kept passing notes to him.

"Ya! Byun Baekhyun! Do Kyungsoo! Are you two done playing yet?!" The teacher barked, extremely irritated. "What do you take me for? A fool? You think I'm stupid? That I won't see you two fooling around passing notes instead of listening to what I'm teaching?"

"Bold of you to assume you're teaching us anything at all," Baekhyun shot back right away and the whole class erupted in laughter.

The teacher grew red in the face, so much like a tomato, and more giggles arose. Stomping, she made her way to Baekhyun's seat and tore the crumpled piece of paper from his hand. "Let's see what you two are discussing that's so important that you feel the need to neglect your studies  _and_ your manners," she snarled and began to read aloud the exchanges between the two boys. "'Hello, Kyung-ja.'"

"It stands for 'Kyungsoo-jagiya', by the way," Baekhyun added shamelessly, causing all the students in the room to cheer and Kyungsoo to blush.

"Did I ask? Keep quiet," the teacher snapped and returned to the note. "'Kyung-ja, you wanna come to my place after school?'"

Their classmates' cheers got even louder and some of them even began to clap. "Get it, Baek!" One of them hollered unabashedly, while another whistled and told them to get a room. Baekhyun wriggled his eyebrows at his supportive classmates but for the most part kept throwing glances at Kyungsoo.

The teacher slammed her hand on Baekhyun's desk angrily. "Come see me after school," she demanded. Giving him a final glare, she returned to stand at the front of the classroom.

"I can't!" Baekhyun blurted. Even Kyungsoo was chuckling right now, which spurred Baek on to continue. "I have to spend quality time with my Kyung-ja!"

"Oh, right. How rude of me to forget that," the teacher replied sardonically. "Then both of you will come see me after school! As well as your homeroom teacher," she said sharply.

Baekhyun was not the least bit intimidated, nor did Kyungsoo mind it. As long as they got to spend time with each other, they would be content even if they were going to get penalized together.

The bell rang, and everybody began packing their stuff, not eager for their next class but would love to get out of the classroom in general. On his way out, Baekhyun passed by Kyungsoo's desk and shot him a wink. "Laters, Kyung-ja."

Kyungsoo could not help but smile even long after Baekhyun was out of sight. He was never out of mind anyway, and Kyungsoo's pounding heart proved as much.

* * *

Later that afternoon, when Baekhyun and Kyungsoo finally got away from their teachers' endless scolding and lecturing, the two boys chatted as they walked together.

"So, considering what happened this morning, I don't think we can call dibs on the practice room every day. That's why I suggested that we go to my place because I've got a nice piano at home and we can rehearse," Baekhyun explained. "I'm sure my family will be cool with it."

"Oh yeah? Is it because you always take boys home to meet your family?" Kyungsoo asked playfully. He had no idea why a response like this came out of his mouth. Heck, he was not even sure how he managed to so much as utter a coherent sentence around Baekhyun but he did it. What a miracle.

Baekhyun almost choked on air. "No, no! I assure you, that's not the case. I really just wanna rehearse with you."

"Well, I was hoping we could also chat and get to know each other better, but I guess if you  _just_ wanna rehearse with me, then fine. I'll respect your boundaries," Kyungsoo replied breezily. There. He did it again. Spoke his mind and did not even stutter. Amazing. This was a win for him and him only, and it surely meant more than winning the competition.

"Nooo!" Baekhyun whined. "Ah, that's not what I mean! We can chat any time you want. Just call me or text me, whenever you like! I'll always pick up the phone and reply instantly...when it comes to you."

Kyungsoo's heart fluttered as he looked down and smiled. "You sure? Even after 10pm? Don't you need to increase your height?"

Baekhyun opened his mouth, paused for a moment, and then finally spoke. He was blushing now and he could certainly make a remark about how Kyungsoo should not be the one to comment on his height but instead he asked, "how...how would you know...?"

Kyungsoo chuckled. "I'm sure the whole school knows."

"What?” Baekhyun squeaked. “How?!"

"Last month your friends were selling clothes and you were helping them out, right? You even made Yifan model the clothes for them."

"Aha, yes, I remember that," Baekhyun laughed. "That was iconic."

"Yeah, that was quite a sight. But still not many people made purchases so you had to escalate to using your ultimate weapon and you were giving your phone number to whoever would buy your friends' clothes."

"Oh! Right, yeah, I did that..."

"Yup, but you asked people to not message you after 10pm because you still needed to get your beauty sleep and hope to grow taller, remember?" Kyungsoo grinned.

"I remember," Baekhyun giggled then looked Kyungsoo in the eye. "But I'm amused to see that  _you_  remember all of that too. Why? Am I that memorable to you? Unforgettable? And you can't get me out of your mind even though more than a month has passed?"

"What the hell, no," Kyungsoo insisted, flustered as he looked away. "It's just because you're so loud and won’t shut up," he claimed, but the truth that he kept in his heart was that that incident was when he began to admire Baekhyun and fall for him.

"Sure," Baekhyun smirked. "I did that partly to make you notice me anyway," he revealed. "Does that make me selfish?"

"No way!" Kyungsoo replied. "What you do for your friends is above and beyond. You really go all out for them and that's admirable, at least in my eyes."

"So it worked. You're impressed," Baekhyun stated, but it sounded like he was anticipating Kyungsoo's confirmation, and he got it when Kyungsoo nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I am...and then this morning, when you told me you slept in the practice room so that you could be sure you'd be ahead of everyone...wow," he laughed. "I'm glad I have you as my accompanist."

"Ha! Well, about that, I do owe Yixing a huge favor," Baekhyun chuckled. "If it weren't for him I wouldn't be able to do what I did for you. But why didn't he show up this morning? I didn't see him at school today either. Is he sick or something?"

Kyungsoo snorted. "I'm sure he's fine. It's just...he's not gonna be on our team anymore."  _He wasn't even part of it to start with_ , Kyungsoo added inwardly, aware of what Yifan and Chanyeol had orchestrated.

"Why?" Baekhyun demanded. "Not to make premature judgments but that sounds really irresponsible. I would never ditch you like that."

"Nah, it's not that. He didn’t really ditch me; it’s not like that. It's complicated. But it's alright. I have you and that's enough."

"So sweet of you, Kyung-ja," Baekhyun beamed. "Hey, are you hungry? Let's stop by the convenience store across the street and grab some snacks."

"Weren't you already snacking in class?"

"Was I? I only remember checking you out in class," Baekhyun replied with a shrug.

"Stop it," uttered Kyungsoo even though the boy was smiling.

"Can't. Why would I look elsewhere when you're in the room?"

Kyungsoo giggled. "I just don't wanna piss our teachers off."

"Bah. Who cares what they think."

"Ah, well. I just wanna stay out of trouble so that it wouldn’t take away our time that could have been spent on rehearsals."

"Point taken," Baekhyun smiled. "But first, food."

* * *

Eventually Kyungsoo did spend a couple hours at Baekhyun's place, practicing and chatting till the sun had set and it was time for Kyungsoo to go home for dinner. It was also around the same time as when Baekhyun's elder brother came home from work.

"Ah, so this is Kyungsoo?" Baekbeom asked with a smile. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard soooo much about you."

"Hyung!" Baekhyun yelped, concerned that his brother would expose the extent of his feelings for Kyungsoo. Baekhyun never dared tell anyone much about his crush on Kyungsoo except to his own brother. He had casually mentioned it every now and then when chatting with Yifan but did not disclose  _too_  much.

"Are you going to stay for dinner, Kyungsoo? Baekhyun can make a mean...err, fried egg," Baekbeom continued.

"Oh, stop it you," Baekhyun whined all the way till his brother went back to his own room. "Kyung-ja, I'd love it if you could stay. But your family will probably expect you to be back soon..."

"Yeah, I don't think they'd appreciate me running off with some boy," Kyungsoo replied jokingly. "I have to go now but I'll see you soon enough and I'll text you."

"I'll walk you home!" Baekhyun volunteered right away.

"It's too far away."

"I'll walk you to the bus station at least!"

"And watch me ride off into the sunset?"

"Exactly like that, while the ending tune plays in the background and the credits roll. Just like a movie, except better, because spending time with you requires no acting."

"So sweet of you, Baek-ja."

* * *

Even on weekends, Kyungsoo spent most of the day practicing at Baekhyun's place. They had decided on a song that both of them could work with, and they were confident that they could perform it with relative ease.

"Do you have to go home now?" Baekhyun asked in the evening. "I've got to go to 'work' too."

"Oh, you have a part-time job already?"

"Aha, no, not really. It's just a family business. My parents own a bar and I sometimes go and play the piano to offer some entertainment to the customers. So they can't say I have no contribution in this house," Baekhyun explained merrily.

"That's so cool. I bet many customers come to see you play. I guess that also means you're used to having many pairs of eyes on you as you perform. I'm so not used to it and I'm so nervous about it," Kyungsoo replied a bit solemnly.

"You know, I can help you with that too," said Baekhyun, clicking his fingers.

"You can?"

Baekhyun nodded. "Why don't you come with? I'll play our song and you can watch me and sing along in your head with people around. At least get used to there being an audience at all?"

"I'd love to, but I don't wanna impose on your parents especially when they're at work..."

"Nah, it's no big deal. They're fond of you anyway. I'll just quickly ask them if they're cool with it," Baekhyun smiled and whipped out his phone from his pocket.

"Ooh, you have a new phone?" asked Kyungsoo.

"Yeah," said Baekhyun smugly, wiggling his eyebrows. "My brother gave this to me. He said he'd get me a new phone if I find the guts to talk to you. Clearly I did and so he has to hold up his end of the deal too."

Kyungsoo faltered. "Am I...intimidating?" He asked quietly. "Is it because of my...eyes? Sorry...it's my astigmatism, I get that it can make me look murderous, but I —”

"No, no, no! Aigoo, it's not your fault! You have nothing to apologize for," said Baekhyun hastily. "What I mean is that I...well..." he ruffled his hair unsurely. "I didn't know how to...approach you and talk to you even though for a long time I've wanted to do that. And it's not because you're scary or anything; it's just because I get so nervous and my tongue gets tied and the words end up stuck in my throat and I'm just gonna make a fool out of myself or something and that's the last thing I want because who would want to make a poor impression on their crus—” Baekhyun stopped himself mid-sentence and gulped. "On their c-classmate?" His heart skipped a beat and he tried to make a save but it felt lame and right now he was fulfilling his own nightmare of sounding like a dumbass in front of his crush. Great.

Kyungsoo broke into a grin. "I feel you."

"You...you do?" Baekhyun's jaw dropped a little and he goggled at Kyungsoo. "You're serious?"

Soo nodded. "I totally get it. The nerves and the endless concerns and all that. It freaks me out too."

"Wow. We are so on the same wavelength," Baekhyun beamed.

"We are."

"It's like we're meant to be or something."

"Of course. Why else would we hold hands?" Kyungsoo replied, smiling. "But hey, why are you using your new phone without a screen protector?"

"Huh? Oh, I suck at applying that shit and I'm just lazy," Baekhyun shrugged, changing his pose to lean against the piano.

"Good thing you have me and my talent is applying that shit," said Kyungsoo proudly. "Gimme. I'll do it for you."

Baekhyun obliged, gladly. "You are a man of many talents, Do Kyungsoo."

"Is that all it takes to impress you, Byun Baekhyun?" Kyungsoo said singsong as he worked his magic, playfully teasing. "Doesn't sound like a lot."

"What, it only takes a Do Kyungsoo to impress a Byun Baekhyun. I'm not ashamed of it," Baekhyun declared.

Kyungsoo only gazed softly at Baekhyun in response, and then handed the phone back to him. "There, all done."

"Oh, thanks," Baekhyun replied softly albeit a bit awkwardly as he was sort of anticipating Kyungsoo to perhaps show a bit of reciprocation, no matter how implicit. "I'm...yeah, I'm gonna call them and ask."

"Yeah, do it."

"But I would rather kiss you right now," he confessed, looking at Kyungsoo earnestly, waiting, hoping, praying for reciprocation this time.

Kyungsoo was silent for a moment, first in disbelief because this actually felt too good to be true, but also savoring this moment that was shared between just the two of them.

"Yeah, do it," he repeated decisively, this time in the form of a whisper because they were so close already.

And then all at once Kyungsoo was practically leaning into the kiss, slowly but definitely eagerly, and Baekhyun did not hesitate at all. The moment their lips met, they were awestruck to find something that felt this good. Although they were barely conscious of it, Baekhyun's hands were on Kyungsoo's waist while Kyungsoo rested his hands on Baekhyun's shoulders and pulled him closer, conveying their hearts' desire for more of each other. Slowly but smoothly they changed the way their lips moved and the angle of their lip-lock, making it last longer than they had expected. Granted, a lot of things that had happened recently were totally unexpected, and yet so much was working out in their favor and had led up to them kissing at this point in a slow blaze. Baekhyun had his favorite person between his favorite instrument and his own warm body, while Kyungsoo's hands roamed to Baekhyun's lower back. Their bodies were pressed together even more closely now, kisses growing more passionate and more impatient. A small grunt in enjoyment from Kyungsoo made Baekhyun gasp gently and pull back a bit in surprise and in a dazed delight. Baekhyun could not even process this because he had not anticipated that he would find himself in this wonderful, beautiful situation. Kyungsoo inhaled and pulled Baekhyun right back in to continue — and neither the pianist nor the piano had any objections. The only interruption came from the noise of Baekhyun's phone ringing and vibrating, gradually sliding off the top of the piano. He had to stop and let go of Kyungsoo for a moment to catch the device just in time, and to pick up the call.

"Yes, eomma?" Baekhyun bit on his lip and tried to calm his breathing, but failed when he looked up at Kyungsoo and found that the vocalist was not just smiling but also smirking.

"Yeah, I'll get going now," said Baekhyun over the phone. "And can Kyungsoo come too?" He asked. "Great! See you." He hung up speedily and returned his attention to Kyungsoo who was looking all smug, as if he was challenging Baekhyun to do more than just kiss him.

"Don't look at me like that," said Baek, panting a little. He knew that he would not be able to get this image out of his head and therefore would not be able to concentrate on playing the piano or in fact anything else.

"So much for chatting and practicing, huh?" Kyungsoo teased. "What more are we gonna do, hmm?"

"Right now we are going to go to the bar," Baekhyun announced resolutely, tearing his eyes off of Kyungsoo because it was getting too much.

"Are we?" Kyungsoo questioned playfully, tilting Baekhyun’s chin to make him refocus. "I don't normally like having an audience; I only want your eyes on me."

Baekhyun was shaking. Kyungsoo was getting too bold and it was making Baekhyun's head spin but oh, how much he wanted to give Kyungsoo everything the boy wanted. Heck, he knew that Kyungsoo had a wonderful singing voice, but now even his normal talking voice had Baekhyun mesmerized. What was he going to do? What on earth should he say?

"I do only have eyes for you," Baekhyun spluttered and struggled to find his words. "Only you, Kyung-ja."

Kyungsoo looked  _so_  pompous. "I like that. Now, shall we go? We wouldn't want to keep your parents waiting, would we?"

* * *

At some point in the night, the couple had concealed themselves in the small storage room of Baekhyun's parents' bar. There was not enough space so their bodies had to be squashed together but they did not mind it the least bit. All this alcohol and yet the only addiction was the intoxicating taste of each other's lips and the lingering touches that sent tingles all over. They were truly losing their minds and making out like there was no tomorrow.

"Fuck, we won't ever be able to practice for the contest if we keep doing this," Baekhyun pointed out, genuinely concerned as he leaned against a few stacked up boxes, catching his breath. In all honesty they cared more for getting some good kissing practice than practicing for the competition. "What time is it now? Ah, shit. Do you have to go home?"

"Hmm, I'm gonna miss my curfew if I don't get going like...15 minutes ago," Kyungsoo drawled, lazily glancing at his watch. "But I don't wanna go. I wanna be with you."

"You  _should_  go though and be their good son," Baekhyun suggested, knowing that if Kyungsoo did not leave now then he would not be able to help himself  _again_.

"They might already be suspicious. I keep telling them that I have to rehearse but I'm pretty sure they think I'm up to something else. They probably think I have a boyfriend or something.”

"Well," Baekhyun smirked in amusement. "I sure hope you haven't got a boyfriend because I'd hate it if you were cheating on him with me."

"Ha, I won't tell if you won't tell." Kyungsoo played along gladly and pushed the hair out of Baekhyun's face and caressed his mochi cheeks.

"I can keep a secret," Baekhyun offered, finding his lips drawn to Kyungsoo's again like magnets. Their lips were going to be so swollen but they just could not stop.

"I believe you can," Kyungsoo replied, gently poking and touching Baekhyun's chest. "But just to be sure..."

"Right, just to be sure..." Baekhyun agreed, and pressed his lips to Kyungsoo's once more, for the umpteenth time that night.

* * *

Given the progression of their relationship, it was fair to say that both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were quite surprised that they were able to keep their hands to themselves for some time and actually rehearse. Even though Kyungsoo preferred having Baekhyun's fingers on his skin, he appreciated it just as much when Baekhyun played the piano because he played  _beautifully_. It was truly stunning and not just in the way his fingers danced across the keyboard but also how his whole body moved when he played. Sometimes Kyungsoo got so captivated that he forgot the lyrics to the song he was supposed to be singing and he was just too focused on staring, gazing lovingly at Baekhyun and admiring his beauty. Other times, Baekhyun would be the one to suddenly stop playing in the middle of a verse to stay focused on Kyungsoo, on his voice, on his facial expressions, on his body language, on all of him. It went on that way for weeks and these occurrences luckily only diminished in frequency as they got closer to the big day.

“You ready?” Yifan asked excitedly when it was almost Kyungsoo’s turn to go on stage.

“No, but it seems you are,” Kyungsoo replied, looking around to see that Yifan had brought banners and merch like badges and wristbands with Kyungsoo’s name printed on them. Yifan was also holding a camera with long lens, ready to take the highest quality photos. “You even made a lightstick. Yifan, you’re the best.”

“Shh, I know I am but don’t let Baekhyun hear you say that. He’s gonna whoop my ass with his hapkido skills,” Yifan grinned.

“You haven’t got an ass,” Kyungsoo sighed and shook his head in pity.

“Whatever. I’ve made enough money from being a stripper to make these lightsticks for you so you can have a silver ocean and I’m hoping it’s gonna help calm your nerves when you perform so you can do your best!” Yifan clicked his tongue and patted Kyungsoo in encouragement.

“I can’t even tell if you’re being serious about how you got this money but I just want you to know that I really appreciate you doing all this for me,” said Kyungsoo earnestly.

“Yeah, no problem. Just don’t forget me when you’re famous,” Yifan joked.

“I won’t forget my biggest fan,” Kyungsoo beamed.

Minutes later he was joined by Baekhyun and they waited for their turn. Baekhyun was definitely a lot more accustomed to performing for an audience, not just from his experience at his parents’ bar but also from countless piano competitions, and so he was visibly less nervous. Kyungsoo was trembling a little and being in Baekhyun’s arms already helped a lot but still he had to fight back the urge to squeeze Baekhyun’s hands and claw at them because, well, Baekhyun needed these hands to play the piano well and do his part as the accompanist. Kyungsoo therefore resorted to digging his nails into his own thighs instead and chewing on his lip to the point where he might bleed.

“Let's relax. We can do this. And even if we don't win, so what? We have each other and we've already won,” Baekhyun whispered lovingly.

“You're right,” Kyungsoo exhaled and tried to calm himself down. “I can do this.”

“Yes you can. You're a very talented vocalist and you're gonna blow everyone away with how amazing you are. They're gonna love you,” Baekhyun reassured. “But not as much as I do.”

Kyungsoo smiled sweetly but there was no time for him to say anything more. Chanyeol, as the emcee for the competition, had introduced Kyungsoo and Baekhyun as the next act. Now was the time to get on stage and perform. The cheers were loud and Kyungsoo spotted Yifan among the crowds, giving him a thumbs-up which was a huge confidence boost.

As they gradually quieted down, Baekhyun began to play the intro, and Kyungsoo sang. Some cheers resurfaced, but Kyungsoo minded the pressure from the audience less and less as he got more and more absorbed into the music. He really poured his heart out into singing, and he knew he picked this song for a special reason anyway. It was not just because he reckoned it would fit his vocal range and voice, but more to do with the meaning the lyrics carried. Smoothly he nailed all the high notes and received a deafening round of applause as he finished his performance. He was all smiles when he invited Baekhyun to stand next to him and bow to the audience together, shedding all his worries once they stepped off the stage.

“You did amazing!” Yifan smiled as a group of their classmates pulled Kyungsoo and Baekhyun into a group hug.

“Let's hope the judges will agree,” Kyungsoo smiled too, drinking from his bottle of water greedily as he settled down in his seat to watch the rest of the contestants’ performances.

* * *

An hour later, it was time for the results to be announced. One of the judges was Im Yoona, an alumnus and the champion in one of the categories from last year’s singing contest. She gave a short speech and after that, Chanyeol and his emcee partner announced the runner-ups first and then the champion for each category. As expected, the duet between Kim Jongdae and Lu Han was loved by the whole school and definitely deserved to be the champion.

“And now, in the solo category, for boys, in the senior division, the champion is...” Chanyeol announced excitedly, hands practically quivering as he opened the envelope that contained the results that everybody in the auditorium was holding their breaths in anticipation for. “Do Kyungsoo and his accompanist Byun Baekhyun! Congratulations!”

Instantly, applause and cheers filled the auditorium, Yifan leading the fan chants without delay as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun made their way to the stage to accept their award. Baekhyun held the trophy in his hands while Kyungsoo had the chance to give a speech. He was still nervous but not as much as just now.

“First off, let me thank everyone who has been supporting me all along, in various ways. I would like to thank Yifan for being such a good friend and my number one fan for the longest time. I also want to thank Chanyeol for, ahem, very avidly and persistently encouraging me to join the contest,” he spoke, smiling fondly as he turned to Baekhyun beside him. “But at the end of the day, I couldn't have done it without my pianist Baekhyun. Thank you for being the best accompanist I could ask for, and so much more. The song I performed today is ‘I Confess’ by SG Wannabe and I actually chose this song to represent my feelings for you since I suck at finding the words to say how I really feel.”

At this point he became super nervous once more, his nails digging into his palms. He chewed on his lip again as he thought about the lyrics in the chorus and how he felt toward Baekhyun.  _I’m confessing to you with all my strength. My love, my love, my love, can you hear my words?_

“I just want to say…” he went on, gulping hard although it did not seem to solve the problem of his throat getting dry. “I like you, Baekhyun. I really do.”

The audience was even more entertained now, clapping and cheering. Chanyeol handed a mic to Baekhyun who wanted to say something once it was quieter. “Wow, Kyungsoo, I had no idea you felt that way about me,” said Baekhyun jokingly, the wide smile on his face mirroring Kyungsoo’s. “Well, I'm glad you like me too. Otherwise it's gonna be really awkward if we kiss.”

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” These chants sent echoes throughout the auditorium, making the couple giggle.

“Well, anything for the fans,” Kyungsoo joked, but meant it when he reached out to hold Baekhyun’s hand, and this time it was not an accident. Their fingers intertwined as their lips met, a soft peck to profess their love. They knew they had to keep it short but sweet — it was not like they had the room all to themselves, at least not right now.

* * *

That evening when the competition had been smoothly wrapped up, Chanyeol went directly to the dinner meeting with the rest of the organizing committee, whereas Yifan, being a respectful fan, gave his favorite vocalist the privacy to spend time with Baekhyun. Kyungsoo brought his boyfriend to his usual breakfast spot on the stairs leading up to the school playground.

“This is kinda where it all started. I would tell Yifan about my feelings for you, all the things I wanted to say but could never,” said Kyungsoo. “Still, if you combine my confession just now with all the times I’ve sung the chorus during our rehearsals...I must’ve confessed to you at least half a thousand times now.”

“Aww, how cute! You have a crush on me, that’s so cute,” Baekhyun teased singsong.

“It’s so surreal that you like me back. Like, I like someone and then that person likes me back? How does that even happen?”

“No, actually,  _I_  liked you first and then  _you_ liked me back,” he corrected, curling his arms around Kyungsoo affectionately. “Kyung-ja, how should we celebrate our big win?”

“I was thinking I could take you home and introduce you to my family,” Kyungsoo suggested. “I’d love to show you off to my parents and my hyung.”

“Ooh, I never took you for the type to show off,” Baekhyun grinned.

“Because I’ve never had much to show off until now that I have you. And our trophy.”

“Sure, I’d love to meet your family,” he said happily. “By the way, are you still going to book the practice room every morning now that you haven’t got anything to prepare for?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I’ve gotten used to getting up early anyway and why wouldn’t I want to make time for singing? It’s what I love to do.”

“Oh, good, ‘cause I was thinking about joining you.”

“And by that you mean you’re gonna make out with me and maybe more, right?” He asked, a smirk creeping onto his face.

“In the practice room? On campus? Damn! You’re naughty,” Baekhyun replied dramatically.

“Oh, come on now. It’s not like you weren’t thinking it. I don’t think there’s a school rule that directly states we aren’t allowed to have that kind of fun in the practice room. But even if there were, you’ve never had a problem with breaking rules. In fact I might say you have a kink for it.”

He giggled. “If we’re gonna be breaking rules  _together_ then count me in.”

“I was also thinking we ought to treat Yifan and Chanyeol to a meal. And also Yixing. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be together.”

Nodding in agreement, Baekhyun beamed. “You are all about giving thanks,” he commented. “And I am all about giving you kisses.”

Kyungsoo smiled too. “When it comes to you, I am all about giving in.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments would be much appreciated. <3


End file.
